<p>A colleague recently told me that she was pre-med in college, but changed her mind and got a Masters in Social Work. She has risen through the ranks in our Mental Health Center very quickly. Now, she is thinking again about medical school. She took all her pre-med courses, so doesn't really need a Post-bacc program, but she certainly would be rusty on the basics and has not taken the MCAT. I am encouraging her, because she is very talented and I think she would be a great doctor. </p>
<p>What do you all recommend? Maybe sign up for a semester of Biochem, genetics, and anything else that would help her get up to speed and then take the MCAT? Would med schools accept older course work for prereqs if it is followed by up to date course work at a higher level?</p>
<p>If she wants to return to college pick up a class or two, that certainly would be on place to start. Another option would be to enroll in MCAT prep class. The science on the MCAT isn’t all that in depth. She might be able to get away with just some intense prep.</p>
<p>The issue she needs to be aware of is that in 2015 the content of the MCAT is changing and so are the entrance requirements for many med schools. </p>
<p>The 2015 MCAT will require biochem and stats in addition to the current requirements, and it will also have a new human behavior section covering topics in psychology, sociology, medical ethics.</p>
<p>Some medical schools do have “freshness dates” on pre-reqs. But that is highly variable and school dependent. Your friend should contact [email or call] the admissions offices of any medical schools that are of particular interest to her, especially her in-state public med schools, to find out their policies.</p>
<p>Many med school welcome non-traditional students. These older students bring a maturity and a breadth of life experience to their classes that younger students may not have.</p>
<p>Despite her experience as a social worker, she still needs to do some physician shadowing and be able to articulate clear answers to the question of “Why Medicine?”.</p>